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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28557084">Fragile orange wind in the garden</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/adella_green/pseuds/adella_green'>adella_green</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Jonathan Strange &amp; Mr Norrell (TV), Jonathan Strange &amp; Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:46:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>859</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28557084</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/adella_green/pseuds/adella_green</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff"><p>The fic is heavily inspired by the song Orange by Big Thief</p></div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Emma Pole/Arabella Strange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fragile orange wind in the garden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Emma was walking through a forest. There were no horrifying black trees with crooked branches covered with web-like mist. No Fairy undertone in the air.<br/>
Instead, it was a warm autumn forest, full of sunbeams penetrating red tree crowns and shining over deep-green moss. She felt happy and free, almost as never before.<br/>
Suddenly, she heard laughter. Not vicious or grim, not a little bit. She knew whom it belonged to.<br/>
Emma turned around just in time to see Arabella walking out of the bushes. They smiled at each other.<br/>
"Hello", Arabella cheerfully waved her hand.<br/>
"Hi", Emma exhaled as something clutched her heart.<br/>
Arabella came close to her and took Emma's hands in hers.<br/>
"Let us dance", she suggested, squinting as if a sunbeam was touching her eyes.<br/>
Emma squeezed Arabella's slender fingers. Dancing awakened anxiety and terror in her still.<br/>
It surely reflected on her face, because her friend immediately turned worried.<br/>
"I'm sorry", she said. "It's just… I feel so light today I think I can get off the ground".<br/>
"Please, don't fly away, stay with me!" words Emma didn't know she would say escaped from her mouth.<br/>
Arabella smiled softly.<br/>
"Of course, I will never leave you," she whispered passionately.<br/>
She leaned to Emma's face, and then…</p><p>Emma woke up in her own bed. Sunbeams were spilling all over the floor through bright orange leaves of a centuries-old platanus by her window.<br/>
She quickly dressed by herself not to bother the maid unnecessarily. Then she came down to the kitchen where the cook gave her a tray with a cup of tea and jam toasts. Doing things herself gave Emma some action she sought after all these years of being chained to bed. She also liked living thrifty, it gave her a different perspective from her entire previous life in prosperity.<br/>
She went to the sitting room, where she found Arabella already reading. She had her own cup on the round coffee table by her side.<br/>
Arabella lifted her head and smiled warmly at Emma.<br/>
"Good morning," Emma answered to this silent  hello. She proceeded to her chair by the unlit fireplace and put the tray to the second coffee table. She was in a mood for sketching but didn't quite know what to draw.<br/>
Suddenly she remembered her dream and Arabella's cordial smile. Why not draw her, when the model is sitting right here, she thought.<br/>
However, she didn't have much time to finish the work, as Arabella put the book away, stretched slightly and suggested they go to the garden to enjoy the nice midday weather. It was very pleasant outside indeed, so Emma eagerly lifted from the chair.<br/>
Arabella was standing in the doorway and holding out her hand. Emma shyly hesitated, but then dared to take it.</p><p>They entered their garden. Flower beds could almost hurt an eye with their firework-like bloom. Arabella went along the path that led to the fountain surrounded with tilias. On her way there she bent down to pick a small bunch of pink and white snapdragons. They looked especially beautiful against her deep-purple dress.<br/>
Arabella turned back at Emma and waved her to follow. Emma took a deep breath of autumn air. It smelt of flowers and foliage and had an elusive tint of longing. She remembered her dream again and followed her friend.<br/>
In a moment, they reached the fountain and sat on its basin's ledges two feet apart. For some time they were just enjoying the soft, warm wind and drops of sunshine on their faces.<br/>
Emma touched the leaves-covered water of the fountain. It was cold but she didn't withdraw her hand. Her mind went empty for a while and she only came to her senses when something else touched her fingers.<br/>
It was Arabella's hand. Emma lifted her head and saw her friend's deep and dark, almost black eyes. Arabella put Emma's hand to her lips and kissed the palm ever so gently, which made Emma's head spin.<br/>
Suddenly, Arabella stood up and pulled Emma with her into a poussette.<br/>
Despite Emma's initial fright, it didn't feel like a dance at all; it was an embrace.<br/>
They made a couple of circles and fell onto soft and springy grass, still hand in hand, laughing.<br/>
"How are you so calm?" asked Emma, scanning Arabella's face and finding only indications of love.<br/>
"I am not. I am just very determined as I cannot hold myself anymore," she answered a bit out of breath. "I saw you in my dream today. A magical dream. In the safe meaning of the word."<br/>
"Maybe it was of a magical nature indeed. I think we shared it," Emma contemplated.<br/>
They lay on the grass looking at each other until a gust of wind disrupted the tree crowns above them and rain of small yellow leaves fell on their skirts.<br/>
Emma extended her hands to undo Arabella's hair, and then her own. Their heads close, the hair mixed and interweaved, and one could not tell to whom which strand belonged.<br/>
"Finally, magic has done something good to us", one of the women said.<br/>
"Yes," the other one answered.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The fic is heavily inspired by the song Orange by Big Thief</p></blockquote></div></div>
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